Sudden Flames
by Writing-Gecko-Girl
Summary: Modern Au. Maedhros' home is big and warm and empty; Maglor's home is wherever his brother is.
1. Chapter 1

Rain lashed the windows, and thunder crashed outside, but Maedhros took no notice. He was busy, typing away at his laptop. He didn't look outside, didn't look at the TV with the volume muted, took no notice of the fire in the hearth, or the glowing thermostat.

He was far too busy to see any of that; wrapped up in important legal matters, trying to prove one and for all, that his client was not guilty (Maedhros' own opinion on his client's guilt did not come into play). The clicks of the computer keys was the only sound in the room.

Outside a man stood at the gate, stopped and staring, afraid of opening it. He slowly reached out, placed his hand on the metal, and pushed. He almost seemed surprised when it swung open, and spent several moments staring indecisively as though frightened of following the path to the front door. Another crack of thunder pushed him forward, reminded him of why he was doing what he was doing.

Inside Maedhros yawned and glanced at the television, registering that it was going to be a cold night.

The man outside had reached the front door. He stood on the stoop, afraid of knocking. He shivered through his thin clothes, and registered that he wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere nice and warm. Somewhere like his brother's house.

Maglor raised his hand to the door and knocked.

Inside Maedhros stirred, snapping back to reality with a yawn. Glancing at the clock on his wall, he wondered who was calling at that hour. He stood, stretched, and walked to the door. He fumbled with the locks (his father insisted everyone have no less than three), and forced the door open.

A sodden man was standing on the doorstep, and, for a moment, Maedhros did not even recognize his own brother. He was confused by the sunken eyes, and the prominent collarbone visible where the rain stuck his shirt to his skin. His clothes, too thin for the weather, had lost all color and shape, hanging on his skeleton like wet potato sacks.

"Kano?" he asked, unable to believe his eyes.

The skeleton smiled weakly. "Hey 'timo." Maglor swallowed nervously, uncertain what to make of his brother's reactions.

"What happened to you?"

"I've been living under the Main Street Bridge." Maglor cursed his mouth for rambling on ahead without his permission.

Maedhros' eyes widened, his heart clenched in his chest. "Kano, it's nearly winter," he whispered.

"I know."

"Can I convince you to stay?"

Maglor's head jerked up, he met his brother's eyes and whispered, "You mean it?"

"Of course." Then his arms were full of a sopping wet, smelly, brother.

"Thank you, thank you."

Maedhros pulled his brother inside. "You smell terrible. Take a shower or something, I'll make you something to eat."

"Really?"

"Of course, of course."

"Thank you."

Maedhros showed his brother up the stairs, to the bathroom in the master bedroom. "Use anything you want, I'll find some clothes for you to borrow and leave the on the bed, come downstairs when you've finished."

Maglor stepped into the bathroom, and stepped into the shower with his clothes still on. Once the water was running he stripped and tossed the wet clothes to the bottom of the shower. His hair was a tangled mess, and he have up on unknotting it, instead washing it as best he could without pulling it out by accident.

He didn't get out of the shower until the water running down the no longer muddy, and instead ran clean. He wrapped his hair in a towel and left it as he tugged on the clothes that had been left out, an silently wandered down stairs.

Maedhros had heated a can of chicken soup, and buttered him two slices of toast. "Any injuries I need to know about?" he asked, once Maglor stepped into the kitchen. "Tell me now and I'll take care of it, tell me later and I'll be livid."

"Nothing."

"Eat up. Let me know if this doesn't fill you up. I have every intention of spoiling you."

"Thank you."

Maedhros watched his brother eat for a minute, then, remembering the state of his hair when he had greeted him earlier, pulled the towel off his head and clucked his tongue. "Would you like me to try to brush it, or just cut it off?"

"I don't want it this long."

Maedhros left his brother for a moment, went up stairs, and returned with a comb, a brush, and a pair of scissors. He pulled the trash can over, took ahold of Maglor's hair, and cut through the last several inches. Then he carefully, noting when his bother winced, brushed out the rest of the tangles. Once it was tangle free he evened up the ends. When he was finished, it fell it about Maglor's shoulders.

"I should have asked earlier, did you have lice?"

Maglor gagged. "Yuck! No."

Maedhros sat beside him. "Any ticks? We should check you for lime disease if you did. Are you up to date on rabies shots? Any chance you were infected? What about cuts; infections? Contagious diseases? Trouble with the law? If you did drugs I swear I'll spank you."

When Maedhros finally stopped for a breath Maglor said dryly, "No I haven't been out of the county, and I haven't been exposed to Ebola. I also haven't had sex, so don't worry about STDs."

For a moment Maedhros seemed to genuinely relax, then he realized he was being mocked. "That's not funny."

"I promise I'll tell you if I'm in danger of having anything. I wouldn't have come here if there was any risk of that."

Maedhros patted his brother's shoulder. "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you."

Maglor smiled weakly. "Thank you."

The cuckoo clock in the basement began to sing, reminding Maedhros that he needed to be awake early the next morning. "I can't talk now Kano, I'm on an important case. Let me show you to your room."

"Thank you."

He took Maglor up the stairs, to the bedroom next to his own, which thankfully he kept furnished in case any of his brothers or cousins decided to visit. "Sleep well, alright? And don't worry about anything.

xxxxxxxx

Notes -

\- In comparison to the real Silmarillion, this is set at the time of the Dagor Bragollach, the 'Battle of the Sudden Flame' hence the house burning down.


	2. Chapter 2

"Don't answer the phone, unless it's a relative. Check the caller I.D."

"Okay."

"Don't open the door unless you know who it is."

"Okay."

"Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge."

"Thank you."

"Don't go in my study, there's confidential stuff in there. Might be some in my bedroom to."

"Shouldn't take your work to bed."

"Oh hush. Any of the bookshelves outside of my study are fair game. The television has Netflix, and, well, a lot of channels."

"Thank you."

Maedhros looked at his little brother, curled on the couch, honestly he shouldn't feel so bad about leaving his fully grown brother home alone, but it had taken Maglor several minutes over breakfast to convince him not to call in sick.

"Take care of yourself. Call me if you need me. Call 911 if there's an emergency. Call mom and dad, they'd love to hear your voice."

"I don't want them to know I've been on the streets."

Maedhros didn't press the point, but made a mental note to change his brother's mind later. "If you go outside don't wander too far, leave me a note if you do, and be back before dark."

"Too cold."

"Alright." Maedhros pressed a kiss to his brother's forehead and left him, still feeling oddly guilty for leaving.

Once he was sitting in his car he pressed the second person on his speed dial.

"This had better be important," Celegorm grumbled when he answered. "It's too fucking early."

"It's after seven."

"A.M."

"Yes, well, it is important. What's the nearest homeless shelter to my house?"

"You call me at seven fucking a.m. to ask something you could have googled?"

"Don't you dare hang up."

"Fine. About six miles. Why?"

"For a case," he lied.

When he got home that evening, Maglor bad still on the same spot on the couch.

XXXXXXXX

After a week, Maedhros didn't know what to do with his brother. He sat silently on the couch, not doing anything, not watching the television, listening to the radio, or reading. He hardly ate, and had paled when Maedhros offered to find out if their mother had any of his old instruments.

It was rather like having a pillow that occasionally talked back. It was not like having a little brother.

Maedhros sat across from his brother, rested his elbows on his knees, and his chin on his hands, and leaned forward to stare at his brother. After a moment, Maglor's eyes flicked to his brother's.

"Is there anything you need to talk about?"

The minstrel tilted his head. "Have I overstayed my welcome?"

Maedhros couldn't decide if that was a direct answer to his question, or merely a reaction to his presence. "Never."

"Then no."

"Are you certain you don't want me to ask mom about instruments? I'm certain she'd love to send some."

Maglor shivered and shook his head.

"I can bring a stereo in here."

This time he didn't shiver, but he did shake his head.

"Would you like to buy a few movies? I remember your favorites."

"No."

"Can I take you clothes shopping this weekend?"

"I don't want you to buy me things."

"I make more than enough money Kano, don't worry too much, alright?"

"Sure." Maglor still seemed guilty.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day he returned home late. It was apparent Maglor had noticed, he had shifted from his usual spot – back to the door, staring at the wall – to a new one, his chin resting on the back of the couch, staring at the door rather than the wall. "You're late."

"I had a few errands," Maedhros dropped a bag onto the sofa next to his brother. "For you."

Maglor peered into the bag, the contents of which surprised him. A harmonica, a flute, various articles of clothing that seemed oddly familiar, and a stack of his favorite movies. "I asked you not to buy me anything."

"I didn't. Mother sends her love and wants you to call." Maedhros started up the steps to his bedroom when a shirt hit him in the back of the head. He spun indignantly to face his brother.

"You told mom I'm here?" Maglor screeched.

"Yes."

"I told you not to!"

"My house," Maedhros snapped, "my rules." Before Maglor could continue shouting he said, "I didn't say you've been homeless, I just said you were staying with me and wanted some of your old stuff back. She seemed to think you had been living with a cousin or a friend and I didn't see the need to tell her otherwise."

Maglor relaxed. "Thank you. I- I'm sorry I threw that at you."

Maedhros balled the shirt up and threw it back. "Don't worry."

"Can I have your phone number?"

Once again caught off guard, Maedhros looked at his little brother in confusion. "It's in your phone," he said, without really thinking.

"Don't have one."

Maedhros cursed his own stupidity. Of course his brother whose home had burned down and who had lived on the streets wouldn't have his mobile phone anymore. "Next time I'm running late I'll call. My name will show up in the caller I.D."

He spent several minutes that evening writing down his family's home and work numbers for Maglor, who thanked him, took the paper, folded it, and shoved it into his rear pocket.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It wasn't an accident."

Maedhros stopped just shy of the stairs. "Pardon?"

"The house fire."

Maedhros felt a sudden rise of panic. Maglor was supposed to be the sensible one, surely he didn't have a little arsonist under his roof. "You set your house on fire?"

"No!"

Maedhros crossed the room, sat in his chair, and looked at his brother, waiting for an explaition. When none was offered he asked, "What do you mean?"

"It wasn't an accident." Maglor shifted, refusing to meet his elder brother's gaze.

"If you didn't burn it down, how do you know that?"

"He said so."

"Someone burned your house down, with you inside it?"

"Yes." Maglor was still, somehow, calm.

"And you didn't tell us this?"

"He said he'd kill me. The fire wasn't to hurt me, just frighten."

"Someone burned your house down, with you inside it, and you're just now telling me?"

"You won't tell anyone."

"I'm calling the police this instant," Maedhros stood, strode toward the kitchen. Maglor grabbed him as he passed.

"Nelyo, he'll kill me."

"Who?" Maedhros demanded. "Who is this 'he' you keep referring to?"

"Melkor."

At the name of their father's old rival Maedhros stilled. Then he turned back to look at his brother. Maglor's eyes had gone wide with fright, and filled with unshed tears. Slowly he returned to his brother's side, sat next to him, and pulled him against his chest. "Shhhh. You're safe. Shhh. I promise, I'll take care of you."

Maglor relaxed, and began to sob.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Notes-

-Celegorm knows where the homeless shelters are because he gets assigned to community service for 'misbehaving' (both Feanor and the police have assigned this)

-This started out a 'starving artist loses everything' AU, but turned into 'Melkor did it.'

\- The man who burned down Maglor's house, was an 'associate' of Melkor whose name is. Glaurung (he has a tendency to wear lots of snakeskin and has a dragon tattoo on his arm)


End file.
